


Two Kinds of Insults or: A Brief Lesson in Courtiership as Offered to Morrolan e'Drien by Sethra Lavode

by misura



Category: Dragaera - Brust
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 04:35:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura





	Two Kinds of Insults or: A Brief Lesson in Courtiership as Offered to Morrolan e'Drien by Sethra Lavode

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dien](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dien/gifts).



"There will," Sethra Lavode conversationally informed Morrolan, "be two kinds of persons offering you insults on occasions such as this one. I advise you to learn to distinguish between the two as quickly as you can."

Morrolan frowned as he considered this for a few moments, until he finally made a reply. "It seems to me, my dear Sethra, that an insult is an insult."

"Well," Sethra said, "and if this is so?"

"A gentleman, such as I hope you will permit me to consider myself to be - " Sethra inclined her head, signifying that she did not object to Morrolan describing himself by such a term. " - a gentleman," Morrolan continued, "knows only one way to answer an insult." He put his hand on the hilt of the Great Weapon known as Blackwand, causing several people to look at him in slight alarm.

"That answer proves you truly are a Dragonlord," Sethra murmured, not without a certain fondness.

Morrolan shrugged as if to say he had never doubted this to be the case.

"Nonetheless, I hope you will do me the honor of listening to what I wish to tell you."

Morrolan shrugged again, as if to say he had no particular opinion on the matter.

"There are those who will insult you because they take pleasure in insulting you. I advise you to call them out as any gentleman would."

Morrolan shrugged a third time. Sethra offered him a look that might have contained a slight hint of disapproval, but made no further comment on her companion's silence.

"However, there will also be those who will insult you because they take pleasure in battle."

Morrolan made to shrug once more, then appeared to think better of it and cleared his throat instead.

"It seems to me that if a person wishes to do battle, he might simply indicate a desire to do so."

"Well," Sethra said. "Clearly, you are not yet a courtier, my dear Southmoor."

Morrolan frowned for a moment, considering. "From your tone I cannot determine whether or not you view this as a good thing," he admitted finally.

"A courtier is someone who will sometimes choose to ignore an insult rather than to offer a challenge to the person who has offered him said insult on the spot."

Morrolan made a face. "This does not sound like a courtier is a very desirable thing to aspire to be."

"A courtier is also someone who wields considerable power, possessing the Empress's ear and offering her advise on a number of subjects, should she ask for it," Sethra continued.

"That does not sound undesirable," Morrolan admitted. "And yet I wonder ... "

"Yes?"

"Would it not be possible to have the Empress's ear without becoming a courtier?"

"You might aspire to become her lover instead."

Morrolan glanced at Sethra's expression, finding little guidance on how he ought to take this rather remarkable statement. "Much as I admire the Empress," he said, "I do not believe I should desire to hold that honorable position, the moreso as I have nothing but the greatest respect for the person who currently holds that office."

"In your words, you have the makings of a fine courtier already."

"I do?" Morrolan seemed not entirely pleased.

"Think nothing of it." Sethra made a dismissive gesture. "We were, I believe, discussing insults."

"More precisely: the way I ought to answer them."

"When offered by someone who does not, in fact, wish to insult you but rather wishes to pay you a compliment."

"My dear Sethra, you have completely lost me," Morrolan confessed. "I suppose," he added, his expression clearing somewhat, "this means I am not yet a courtier after all."

"Consider that this person will wish to engage in a battle with you."

"Well, what of it?"

"Well, does the fact that out of all persons they could have chosen to insult they chose you not suggest to you that they think highly of your skills in battle? There would, you perceive, be little point in their offering an insult to someone unlikely to last even two seconds against them."

"I believe I am beginning to see."

"I am pleased," Sethra said.

"Certainly I should not like to kill someone who was merely seeking to offer me a compliment. To do so seems rather poor manners."

"You see then, why it is of importance that you quickly learn to perceive when someone is insulting you for the sake of insulting you and when they merely do so for the sake of battling you."

"I see, indeed, but I must confess the 'how' fully escapes me." Morrolan looked slightly disturbed as he mulled over what Sethra had told him.

"Now that one has the possibility to revivify one's opponents, one can afford to make the occasional mistake. I promise you nobody will think the less of you for it," Sethra assured him.

Morrolan appeared not entirely reassured by the Enchantress's promise. He sighed.

"All of this seems much more complicated than I had expected things to be," he complained.

"I do believe your sense of fashion may have remained stuck in the last century."

"You think so?" Morrolan looked at his clothing as if he had not previously been aware of what was he wearing. "I thank you for alerting me to this. I had not noticed this myself. In fact ... "

"Yes?" Sethra prompted, her expression somewhat amused.

"I requested Lady Teldra to advise me on what to wear."

"A wise decision, to be sure."

Morrolan opened his mouth, then closed it again. "My dear Sethra," he said at last, "I do believe you were seeking to pay me a compliment."

"Well," Sethra said, laconically.


End file.
